"The ocean is my battlefield."
"The seawater is my strength."
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The Third Mizukage murmured softly, then bit his finger directly within the sea water, instantly activating the summoning technique.
A burst of white smoke exploded beneath the waves, and a jet-black creature appeared.
The moment it emerged, a faint sense of satisfaction flashed across the Third Mizukage's eyes.
"Begin, Kaiga, devour him!"
"Roar!"
On the surface of the sea, Gekko Chizan had just unleashed his Rain of Crystal Needles, when he immediately turned toward the water with sharp vigilance, opening his insect eyes to search for the Third Mizukage's position.
What he saw nearly made him jump out of his skin. Without a second thought, he launched himself into the sky again!
"Chōmei! Higher!!!"
"Hurry!"
Wings unfurled, and Gekko Chizan flapped with all his strength, soaring upward into the air.
What had he just seen?
That was a massive electric eel!
The terrifying current had already begun spreading, and just as he rose into the air, the very next instant, bolts of electricity surged across the sea where he had stood moments before, transforming it into a hell of thunder and lightning.
"Roar!"
A ferocious roar echoed from beneath the sea, as streams of current erupted skyward like streaks of light.
"A water-user actually contracted an electric eel as a summon?!"
"Are you tired of living?!"
Gekko Chizan couldn't understand. Summoned beasts were supposed to resonate with their master.
Water conducts electricity. Why would a master of Water Release summon an eel that discharges it? Wouldn't he be electrocuted himself?
Staring at the monstrous eel crackling with power, Gekko Chizan felt completely numb.
"Hmph, Kaiga has been with me since childhood, so that we could fight side by side."
"A mere electric current—so what? Besides, I do not fear lightning."
The Third Mizukage slowly rose from the sea, his summon, the eel Kaiga, circling him. The currents raged outward, yet the Mizukage remained completely unaffected, as though lightning could never harm him.
This sight made Gekko Chizan narrow his eyes. His brain raced, and he immediately realized the truth.
The Mizukage's body was covered in droplets of liquid, but the sheen was strange—as though it wasn't absorbing into him at all.
Oil! That was oil!
No wonder this bastard wasn't afraid of electricity. Oil and water were not the same.
Seawater conducts electricity because it contains ions that move under an electric field.
But oil is different—it's an insulator, containing almost no mobile charges, so it doesn't conduct.
"With the combination of water and lightning, my attacks reach an entirely new level."
"Impudent brat—submit and die!"
"Water Release! Dance of the Raging Wave Blades!"
The sea surged upward, transforming into countless blades of water, their sheer number staggering.
At the same time, the eel Kaiga discharged electricity, layering the blades with crackling current.
Just as he said—water and lightning combined raised the jutsu's power to terrifying heights.
"Fire Release! Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
Gekko Chizan refused to back down. So what if it was water and lightning?
His Sea of Flames technique wasn't to be underestimated either!
Flames surged from his mouth, crashing downward.
Water and fire clashed for the first time, both sides pouring chakra continuously into their techniques.
The blazing heat turned seawater into steam, blanketing the entire sea surface in white mist, making it impossible to see inside.
"Just a stinking eel!"
"Even if you rely on help, I won't lose to anyone!"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A denser cloud of white smoke erupted, and four figures appeared at once—gold, azure, yellow, and green.
Their massive bodies crashed onto the sea, splashing up towering waves.
"Hm? This presence?"
"Kaiga, be careful. His summons are not to be underestimated."
For the first time, the Third Mizukage grew serious. His sensory perception, especially at sea, was formidable. And the aura from these four summoned beasts radiated intense ferocity.
"The ocean—I love it!"
"But in battle, I love it even more!"
A voice brimming with battle lust rang out from the smoke. Without a shred of hesitation, the enormous golden python Jinlin lunged at the eel.
Its gaping maw snapped toward Kaiga.
"Jinlin, the opponent's summon is an electric eel—be careful!"
"Don't lecture me! It's just electricity! Today's main course is eel!"
Among the four sisters, Jinlin was by far the most warlike.
Urokohane spread her wings, catching Gekko Chizan and carrying him swiftly out of the shrouding steam.
"Hm? This one's chakra reserves… this must be the human limit."
Though Urokohane wasn't a fighter, her flight and sensory abilities were exceptional, and she immediately noticed something unusual about their foe.
"The Third Mizukage of Kirigakure—no wonder he's difficult."
"Yamoryū—I'll leave it to you!"
"Fire Release! Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
The sea of fire spread once more. At that moment, Jinlin sank her fangs into the eel Kaiga, dragging it violently into the depths with sheer brute force.
The Third Mizukage trusted in his summon, so he didn't intervene. Instead, he shifted his attention to Gekko Chizan and the three remaining serpents above.
Kurohebi exhaled a cloud of poison mist, while Yamoryū swung her tail, unleashing waves of sonic vibrations.
Three attacks converged on the Mizukage, yet he remained unshaken. His hands formed seals quickly, and he pressed a palm onto the sea's surface.
"Water Release, Giant of the Waves!"
And it didn't stop there. Another jutsu followed immediately.
"Water Release, Water Formation Pillar!"
Jets of water surged skyward, their roaring crash resounding across the sea.
What should have been a simple defensive ninjutsu became, in his hands, a fortress.
The roar of the waves nullified Yamoryū's sonic attacks, while the surging columns blocked both fire and poison mist.
Meanwhile, the first jutsu shaped the sea itself into a towering water giant, a monstrous figure rising from the surface.
Its arms swung wide, grasping toward Kurohebi and Yamoryū.
Seeing this, Gekko Chizan felt no panic whatsoever.
Instead, he made a firm decision—if he survived this, he would devote himself to mastering Water Release. Properly wielded, water was not only grand in scale, but utterly terrifying!
"You still have time to daydream? Come down!"
"Water Release, Seaweed Binding Technique!"
With the advantage of the sea, the Third Mizukage was in his element. Torrents of water turned into countless ribbons, coiling upward into the sky.
In moments, they ensnared Urokohane. The next second, a powerful force dragged her down, hurling her body toward the sea.
"Wrong move! My counterattack begins now!"